1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a differential assembly for a vehicle and more particularly to a differential assembly including a clutch means for retarding relative rotation of one of the side gears and the carrier and wherein the differential assembly is driven through a planetary gear set which is also operable to actuate the clutch means.
2. Background of the Invention
Differential gear mechanisms are known in the art which are utilized to compensate for slipping of one of the drive wheels of a pair of drive wheels of a vehicle. Various means have been provided for retarding rotation of one of the wheels of the vehicle relative to the other wheel of the vehicle upon the occurrence of a predetermined condition. The predetermined condition can be the manual actuation of the clutch means, the sensing of relative rotation between the output wheels, turning or low speed operation such as when the vehicle is operating in a particular gear range. The Moreno U.S. Pat. No. 4,070,924 and the Breed U.S. Pat. No. 3,974,717 both disclose examples of prior art devices which are manually actuated to effect lock up of the differential. Hart et al. 3,788,166 discloses a differential which is manually actuatable and which permits differential operation only in the high operating speed ranges of the transmission and which prevents differential operation in the low operation speed ranges. Williams U.S. Pat. No. 4,113,044 and Jeffers U.S. Pat. No. 3,871,249 are other examples of prior art differentials which are actuated upon the occurrence of a predetermined condition. The applicant is not aware of any prior art differentials including a clutch mechanism which is actuated via a planetary gear means which also serves to provide the input for driving the differential.